1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to intuitive based control elements, and interfaces and devices using said control elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Remote control units for televisions are used to control operations of various types of video systems, audio systems, computers, and other devices. Certain types of remote controls are created specific to a particular model unit, while other types of remote controls are universal and can be programmed for the majority of televisions or other devices available on the market today. Remote controls are used to change channels, volume control, on/off control and many other features that different televisions and other devices are equipped with today.
Remote control devices for television sets and other electronic devices fall into two broad categories: those which are hard wired to the appliance, and those which transmit an electromagnetic wave, usually in the infrared portion of the spectrum, which is received and decoded by the appliance. The infrared devices generally comprise a housing having one or more buttons or switches which serve as the user interface, one or more integrated circuits to translate the user command to a digital or binary signal, an infrared light emitting diode (LED) and associated driver circuitry, a power source (usually batteries), and, optionally, a visible LED to signal the user when the remote control unit has power and/or is transmitting.
Most available remote controls for televisions and other equipment have typically been housed in the form of rectangular slabs, or rectangular slabs with curved portions for design and to enlarge the keypad area. One face of the control typically includes plural control buttons, forming a keypad.
Examples of ergonomically shaped or multi-function remote control units include U.S. Des. Pat. No. 380,449 (shaped like an exercise grip, with or without knurls); U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,448 (round, weighted bottom provided so it always stands upright, with minimal number of keys); U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,256, (includes a scan function to scan channels); and International Patent WO 94/01844 (providing a keypad with geometrical shapes corresponding to the function or number). Further, various pistol shaped remote controls have been disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,573,854, 5,675,427, U.K. Patent No. 2,281,138.
Further, various user interface based remote control devices are known, including U.S. Pat. No. 6,762,773 (displaying stored icons sharing common visual characteristic with corresponding button on remote control); U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,210 (integrated remote control and phone user interface e.g. for telephone systems, employs user interface which includes graphical screens which can be configured by the user to appear as a picture-in-picture with a video broadcast program); U.S. Pat. No. 6,882,299 (discloses a graphical remote controller for multiple consumer devices including a touch screen based graphical display using title based descriptions to select the appropriate device); U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,857 (discloses a remote control employing a touch screen to reduce the number of keys of the remote controller)
One problem common with many of the above described remote controls is that they are difficult for certain individuals, including young children, elderly, those with severe arthritic or other physically debilitating conditions, or those with Alzheimer's disease, dementia, or other mentally debilitating conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,799 discloses a computer pointer control device adapted for ease of use by handicapped individuals. The device includes a mating cradle that sits on top of a base having a track ball. The upper surface of the cradle support is shaped to accept the forearm of an operator. The operator can move the cursor up and down on the screen by pushing his or her arm outwardly or inwardly and can move the cursor left to right on the screen by rotating his or her arm in the cradle about its longitudinal axis.
Certain remote control devices are marketed towards individuals that have trouble with, or do not need, all of the functions available on a standard remote, such as the elderly, people with Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia, those who are cognitively or visually impaired, those who are physically disabled including arthritis sufferers, caregivers, children, or those who do not desire the complex functionality of typical remote controls. For example, referring to FIGS. 30 and 31, certain remote control devices are shown that exist today. These include a conventional Zenith® Universal Remote ZEN-SP, with an on/off button and a circular arrangement of arrow buttons, and the weemote® 3 Sr. TV remote for adults, marketed by Fobis Technologies, Inc., Pinecrest, Fla. However, the inventor hereof has found that these devices, while promoted as a simple remote control that is customizable, still can be difficult for certain individuals to use.
While these devices and other remote control devices may be suitable for their intended purposes, there remains a need in the art for improved remote control devices, particularly for individuals with limited capabilities.
Other devices also suffer from drawbacks related to ease of use, particularly for the elderly, people with Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia, those who are cognitively or visually impaired, those who are physically disabled including arthritis sufferers, caregivers, children, or those who do not desire the complex functionality of typical device.
“The ability to recognize faces is a remarkable human feat . . . . Our ability to recognize faces is also little affected by the passage of time.” (Freire, A., & Lee, K. (2001). Face Recognition in 4- to 7-Year Olds: Processing of Configural, Featural, and Paraphernalia Information. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, doi:10.1006/jecp.2001.2639. “Evidence from fields as diverse as cognitive, evolutionary, and developmental psychology, as well as cognitive neuroscience, has increasingly pointed to the ‘special’ nature of face recognition. A critical examination of the literature supports the view that faces begin to be seen as a separate class of objects within the first 6 months of life. Not surprisingly, the neural systems that underlie face recognition also come on line during this period of time.” Nelson, Charles (2001). The Development and Neural Bases of Face Recognition. Infant and Child Development 10:3-18 (2001).
The American Medical Association states that, “Between 15 and 18 months, your baby will enjoy language games that ask him to identify things, such as “Where's your ear?” . . . . At this age, your baby will begin symbolic play for the first time—he'll imitate things he sees you do, and he'll use objects for their intended purpose. He'll attempt to brush his own hair with a hairbrush, or he'll use the phone to “talk” to you . . . . Your baby may be learning how things work and what things do.” American Medical Association. (1997). Learning, Play and Your 1-2 Year Old. Jul. 10, 2006, Medem: Medical Library. 
Various design principles also are known as attempting to be a medium for simplicity in everyday life, such as the Principles of Universal Design and their guidelines, which state: “Universal Design is the design of all products and environments to be usable by everyone regardless of age, ability or situation . . . . As universal design performance is increased, so are usability, safety and marketability for all users.” The Center for Universal Design, N.C. State University. (2000). Evaluating the Universal Design Performance of Products. Jun. 20, 2006. The Center for Universal Design. “The intent of Universal Design is to simplify life for everyone by making products, communications, and the built environment more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost. Universal design benefits people of all ages and abilities.” The Center for Universal Design, N.C. State University. (2000). About Universal Design (UD). Jun. 20, 2006. The Center for Universal Design.
Improvements in quality of life for people with Alzheimer's Disease or Dementia have been proposed based on the Montessori Educational Approach, created by Maria Montessori (1870-1952). “Montessori worked with underprivileged children who were labeled “unteachable.” “Her goal in working with these children was to improve their quality of life . . . ” all “based on the abilities available to the children.” “The goal of the Montessori method is to create persons who are as independent as possible, able to make choices, and who are treated with respect and dignity. Montessori techniques have traditionally been used with children, but have proven effective when used with older adults. Montessori-Based Dementia Programming® enables older adults to interact positively with their environment and function at the highest level possible.”
“Our lives are defined by what we do. Everything we do, from the time we wake up, to the time we eat dinner . . . is an activity. A persons' self-identity, self-esteem, and mood can be greatly influenced by the activities in one's life and the success or failure experienced during these activities. This remains true even when one develops cognitive impairments.” Directions on using “the Montessori Method as a way to CREATE activities” include the following: “(use) materials (that) are familiar, aesthetically pleasing, and are often taken from the everyday environment; materials should be easily recognizable and visible; use of external cues and/or templates is common; the information needed for completing a task should be built into the materials; avoid unnecessary background clutter on materials to prevent distraction; materials should also be free of unimportant letters, numbers, words, and markings; activities should be an error-free source of success for clients . . . ; find and focus on the memories and abilities that are still intact; activities should have a clear objective that is meaningful to the client.” Myers Research Institute, (2006). Montessori-Based Dementia Programming®. Montessori-Based Dementia Programming Seminar and Workshop Materials: Camp, Cameron. 
In addition, the “First-In/Last-Out” Theory, is known, which states that “abilities that are acquired first in childhood remain for a long time in persons with dementia. Abilities that are acquired later in childhood are the first abilities lost in persons with dementia.” This theory is also known as Retrogenesis, and it “was first presented to the International Psychogeriatric Association on Aug. 16, 1999, by Dr. Barry Reisberg.” Myers Research Institute, (2006). Montessori-Based Dementia Programming®. Montessori-Based Dementia Programming Seminar and Workshop Materials: Camp, Cameron. “Clinical and neurological studies have compared the mental and physical stages of infant and child development to the reverse process of Alzheimer's deterioration. These studies document that an Alzheimer's patient with mental ability and habits similar to those of a 12-year-old child, will regress to levels of successively younger children and even infants.” International Psychogeriatric Association, IPA Press Releases, (1999). Retrogenesis: landmark Alzheimer's research adds scientific precision to the phrase. Vancouver, B.C. International Psychogeriatric Association.
Employing aspects of various theories described above within everyday man-machine interfaces, including remote controls, video devices, audio devices, telephones, computers, clocks, household devices, personal care devices (e.g., toothbrush), light switches, or controls for any other of the multitude of ubiquitous devices, are unknown to the inventor hereof.